Jim O'Connor/US PresswireConnecticut and DePaul battled during the first round of the Big East Tournament today before the Huskies prevailed by 14 points.

NEW YORK — When Jim Calhoun first took leave from the bench last month, he did so without much notice to his players at Connecticut. The Huskies coach gave a speech on the team plane when they returned from a loss at Georgetown then was missing from practice the next day. His team learned of the seriousness of his illness and his timetable for recovery in the news.

When Calhoun returned, he again did so by surprise. Andre Drummond saw his coach’s car in the parking lot outside of Connecticut’s practice facility Friday and soon a buzz grew among his teammates. Ultimately, Calhoun reappeared that day without any notice, less than a week after undergoing surgery to treat back issues that had forced him to miss eight games in February.

Before talking about the Huskies’ 81-67 victory over DePaul today in the opening round of the Big East Tournament, Calhoun took time to explain his decision to return, in his 26th season at the UConn helm. It was a monologue born out of thin air, perhaps in response to criticism of his return pulling down on his program.

“Someone said I only have two years left on my extension,” Calhoun said. “I don’t know if I can make two more minutes. For them to think, I’m grateful about that, I don’t know if I have two more years in my contract. Now it’s like I’m calling the shots.

“Someone better pay me for two more years. That’s what I’m saying. My point is, I’m trying to coach this basketball team, and that’s my job. But it’s also my love. And that’s why I came back to my basketball team, because I felt I owed them something.”

Calhoun’s absence has been the dominant story line this season for a basketball team struggling to mix their sky-high talent in a composition fit to live up to the individual parts. They stand at 19-12, balancing themselves on the capricious NCAA Tournament bubble.

Their potential is undoubted. Jeremy Lamb, a likely first-round pick in the NBA Draft, scored 25 points today. Ryan Boatright, the dynamic point guard, scored 19 points off the bench as starter Shabazz Napier was bothered by foul trouble — though he still managed six assists without a turnover in 16 minutes. Drummond blocked four shots and scored 12 points.

But a 24-point lead was cut down to nine with 7:20 remaining and DePaul, the Big East’s bottom-dweller, showed once again why Connecticut brings an imbalanced case for the NCAA Tournament that could use propping up.

So when Calhoun finished explaining himself, he made his case about the Huskies’ NCAA résumé and the schedule they have faced this year.

Calhoun no longer needs a cane — joking that if he had one with him on the sidelines he might whack an official or two — and his nerve pain has diminished to a muscular one. An invasive three-and-a-half hour procedure caused a discomfort, though “nothing like a win or two wins now” wouldn’t alleviate.